Commissioners To Fight Proposal To Prohibit Lobbyists

Roosevelt County commissioners agreed to adopt a resolution on Thursday, Feb. 6, to oppose pending proposed Montana legislation that would prohibit tax-funded associations to lobby in Helena.

The legislation would prohibit lobbyists for the Montana Association of Counties, which represents the stances of county commissioners throughout the state.

Commissioners say if such a bill passes, legislators won’t be hearing experts testify from several fields such as schools, counties and cities.

“We feel this is absolutely opposite of what should happen,” said Roosevelt County Commissioner Gordon Oelkers, who is also MACo’s current second vice president. “This will affect schools, unions and a lot of organizations.”

Without the ability of having lobbyists testify for the best interest of particular counties, Oelkers predicts that commissioners will need to travel the 450 miles to Helena constantly to testify in person.

“MACo is our voice,” Oelkers said. “They know what’s going on, because they are there.”

Commissioner Robert Toavs agreed that MACo does a great job of representing Roosevelt County.

“We need the association down there to do that. They are very knowledgeable,” Toavs said.

Oelkers added that state legislators want to eliminate tax-funded associations from having lobbyists in Helena, but the state pays about $2 million to have lobbyists in Washington, D.C.